Concrete Contractor in West Covina, CA - Slabs Set Right on Flat and Sloped Lots
Complete Montebello Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Montebello that pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homes and businesses in West Covina, from the flat streets to the hillside lots.
Concrete work across West Covina's flats and hills
West Covina sits in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, and we head out from Montebello for it the same way we do for El Monte or down to Norwalk. Most of our calls here are for the concrete around a house, like a cracked driveway, a broken-up patio or a walk that trips people at the front door. Along the 10, where the big shopping centers sit, the work shifts to parking areas and walks that take traffic all day. What moves the price is mostly size, how much old concrete comes out and how much the base needs, and the schedule turns on whether there's a permit and how long the slab needs to cure before it can take weight, so I give you both for your own job when I come out to look.
The ground decides a lot of it. Flat blocks usually just need a tired old base dug out and redone, while lots on the slopes toward the San Jose Hills bring grade changes that can call for steps, a wall or a stepped foundation before any slab goes in.
What we pour in West Covina
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here usually crack at the street and sink by the garage, so we tear out, dig down, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios on flat lots tend to pool water against the house. We set the slope away from your walls before we pour, so rain runs off.
Stamped concrete services
Stamping gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick. Underneath it's still a slab, so the base gets the same work.
Concrete sidewalk building
We redo the walk from the driveway to the front door when it's heaved or broken, cutting control joints so any later crack follows a line we chose.
Garage floor concrete
Garage slabs in older houses here are often chipped and out of level, so we break out the old floor and pour one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color and borders can dress up a front yard, but if a plain broom finish, brushed so it isn't slick, suits your house better, I'll say so.
Concrete retaining walls
On the sloped lots toward the hills, a wall often has to hold the yard back before a patio or driveway can go in flat.
Concrete floor installation
For workshops, add-ons and other indoor spaces, we pour floors flat, with steel rebar where the load calls for it to hold the slab together.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here get sun all day and wet feet all summer, so we keep water running off the deck and leave a finish bare feet can grip.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on houses set up off the street tend to crack and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with even risers and a footing below.
Slab foundation building
For a room addition or a new garage, the subgrade the slab sits on gets dug out and packed before any steel or concrete goes in.
Foundation installation
On a hillside lot, a foundation may have to step down the slope, so I check the grade myself before we form anything.
Concrete parking lot building
Lots behind shops and offices along the 10 take steady car traffic, so we pour them thicker than a driveway and plan where the water goes.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts need footings that carry their weight down into firm ground, so we dig each one to suit what it holds.
Foundation raising
If a corner of the house or garage has settled and doors stick, we find out why it sank before we lift and support that section.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for a clean edge when only part of a driveway or walk needs replacing, and cut openings for drain lines or doorways.
Call about your concrete job
Call (213) 491-1072 or send the form, and I'll come out and look at the job before we price anything.
Why West Covina homeowners call us
You get straight answers at the estimate, even ones you'd rather not hear, and a slab built from the base up, since that's the part that decides how it holds up.
Owner at every estimate
I come out to look at your job myself, and my crew does the work with me on site.
Base dug out and packed
We dig out and pack the base, because one that's only raked level settles and takes the slab with it.
Drainage checked before forms
We check where rain runs on your lot before we set forms, so the new slab drains away from your house.
Permit paperwork handled for you
If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city's Building Division.
Covered on every job
We're fully licensed and insured, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions from West Covina homeowners
How much does a concrete driveway cost in West Covina?
I give you that number after I measure your driveway, because the size, tear-out and base work change from one house to the next. A sloped driveway or soft ground underneath takes more prep, and stamping or color costs more than a plain broom finish. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the base work and simplify the finish, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from sinking.
Do I need a permit to replace a driveway or walkway in West Covina?
You may not need a building permit, because the city's list of work that doesn't need one includes walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade, not over a basement or a room below, and not part of a wheelchair-accessible route. Retaining walls holding back 4 feet or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, are on it too, unless they carry extra weight from above or hold back certain liquids. If the job swaps out a drainpipe, that counts as new work and needs a plumbing permit and inspection.
Does permit-free concrete work in West Covina still need Planning approval?
It can, because a project that needs no building permit can still need the city's Planning Division to approve it. In some cases Planning can limit where it goes and how tall it is and set design requirements, which can matter for a wall or a big slab out front. A call to the Planning counter at (626) 939-8422 before we lay anything out settles it.
How do I apply for a building permit in West Covina?
You apply through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center or in person at the Building Counter at City Hall, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., since the Building Division no longer takes applications by email. For questions first, the division's number is (626) 939-8425. When we're doing your job and it needs a permit, that paperwork's on us.
Does a contractor working in West Covina need a city business license?
Yes, the city requires anyone running a business in West Covina, contractors included, to get a city business license within 15 days of starting business there. The city's Finance Department handles business licensing, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're comparing whether they have one.
What causes new concrete to crack, and how do I keep my West Covina slab from doing it?
New concrete cracks most often from a base that settles, water working under it, a top finished in hot midday sun, or joints cut late or not at all. On our jobs that means the packed base and drainage check above, control joints cut on time so any crack usually follows them, and an early start on hot days. After the pour comes curing, the wait while the concrete gets hard enough to use, and you'll walk on it well before you drive on it, so I'll give you the timing for your slab.
Don't see your city? Give us a call
Check the cities listed here, and if yours isn't one of them, call (213) 491-1072, since we take jobs in plenty of cities around Montebello that aren't listed.
Get a West Covina concrete estimate
Call (213) 491-1072 any day of the week, since our phone hours run into the evening, or send the form if writing it out is easier.